Our character can help us progress

5 January 2017

rovers.co.uk

Jason Steele has praised the desire and commitment of the team after their 1-0 win over Newcastle United on Monday.

The Rovers keeper, who put in a man-of-the-match display in the victory over the Magpies, was delighted to keep another clean sheet but insists they have to start keeping more of them if they are to rise up the table.

But after doing the double over Newcastle, Steele believes that the character shown in the two victories can see them right for the second half of the season.

"We were all hoping and praying for a positive start and a positive result and I think our spirit, endeavour and hard work got us over the line," Steele told Radio Rovers.

"We've done that twice now, today we rode our luck a little bit more than we did up at St. James' but in the Championship you never get a game where you don't ride your luck and maybe we got a little bit of luck that after our last month we deserve.

"I'm happy at keeping two clean sheets against Newcastle but the return has been nowhere near good enough as a team. We keep clean sheets as a team, I don't think you can just pin it on goalkeepers and defenders, but to do that now hopefully we can kick on and keep more.

"We are over the halfway mark and we know what the situation is and we know where we are. We've got to start winning games and quickly or else it is going to turn into a dogfight down there and none of us want to be involved in that.

"But when the times are tough and the chips are down that is when you find out about the characters and I think we've got a squad full of big characters and hopefully that will come to fruition.

"We've got to set our targets realistically and that is to win games as quickly as possible. It is a shame that we haven't got the next two games at home because when Ewood is rocking like it was in that last ten minutes they helped us and pulled us through and that is what we are going to need for the rest of the season.

"If we can keep this sort of solidness that we've had in the last two games then we'll be alright."

Rovers are on FA Cup duty next Saturday when they travel to Loftus Road to take on Queens Park Rangers.

Tickets are currently on open sale for the third round clash with the advanced prices of £10 for Adult season ticket holders, £5 for Senior season ticket holders, £5 for 18-21 year-old season ticket holders and £1 for Under-18s who are season ticket holders.

Prices on the day and for those who aren't season ticket holders are £15 for Adults, £10 for Seniors and 18-21 year-olds, and £5 for Under-18s.